Us Conductors is a literary novel that spans genre. What follows is simply a struggle for survival. However, when his situation in the United States becomes untenable, he is forced to return to Russia, a country he no longer recognizes. Despite all this, he builds a home in America, gathering friends and students, hosting raucous parties, and inventing more amazing machines. Leon is obligated to become increasingly involved in the spy game, and must make harder and harder decisions about what kind of person he will turn out to be. The narrative spans decades, progressing from Prohibition, to the 1929 Crash, to an increasingly dangerous Russia. Their love affair is intense, buoyed by Harlem dance halls and the ethereal song of the theremin. Leon’s chief joy, other than science, is an American violinist named Clara Reisenberg. He delights in creating new inventions and discussing theory with foreign scientists, but leaves the subterfuge up to his handler. However, Lev (or Leon, as he is called in America), is not much of a spy. He is instructed to use the theremin to wend his way into meeting people and making deals that would prove difficult otherwise. Lev, a dedicated scientist, is sent to America as a Russian spy after inventing his marvelous instrument. This haunting and plaintive music is the soundtrack to which Us Conductors is set. Controlled by electrical current, the musician plays the theremin without touch, controlling pitch and volume with each hand. If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing or hearing a theremin (it is no longer a common instrument), you’re missing out on a singular experience. While the book is a work of fiction, Termen and the theremin are not.

Us Conductors follows the path of Lev Sergeyevich Termen, the brilliant engineer who invented the theremin.

Thankfully, this dense, yet lyrical novel, delivered in spades. So when I received my copy of Us Conductors, the debut novel by Montreal-based writer and music critic Sean Michaels, I had high expectations. It’s no secret here at The Masters Review that we’re big fans of Tin House. Listen to an audio clip of the book here!

Us conductors book